[MikeinSlagle]

Was down at Holly Beach this past Saturday fishing around the rocks. I hooked into a fish I didnt know what was. Thought I would see what the experts thought.

I was using 50lb braid with 65lb coated steel cable leader, 10/0 Shaughnessy hook and a frozen mullet between 4 and 5 inches long. Had my bait just off the end of the rocks and felt a little bump on my line. I raised the rod tip to put tension on the line and the fish went airborne. I made a few cranks on my reel and it jumped again. This time my line went slack for good. I thought it threw the hook but it actually cut the leader. I rerigged and kept trying, hoping to get another hook up but couldnt keep the catfish off my line long enough.

Just a quick glimpse of the fish was all I got. I know fish look bigger when they jump, but it had to be around 3ft if not more. I saw a white belly and maybe grey or silver sides, its belly was facing me.

Would like to hear opinions on what it may have been. It looked like a big trout the way it jumped and looked. But I would have been a huge one and do trout have teeth to cut 65lb cable? I dont know what kind of teeth the coastal species pack. Im thinking maybe a cobia or king. Are they common down around the rocks or are they even caught that close to land? It didnt look like a shark, not that I ever caught one, just from the ways its gills were. Had "fish gills" not "shark gills".